On 17 May 2020, with a reserve date of 21 June 2020 if the weather is against us, there will be a lighthearted midsummer Sunday of OA Cricket to celebrate and remember Derek Sederman.

Play will begin at 11.00am, and all those who used to enjoy playing cricket at school, whether or not they have played since, are invited to come to school to make up two, potentially mixed, cricket teams.

It doesn’t matter at all how old you are or when you were at Abbotsholme. Pads, bats and balls will be provided by school, whites are not required, comfortable sports clothes will be fine. This will be a 20 - 20 fixture, with a picnic lunch on the games field provided for all players, supporters and families.

Cars can be taken down to the games field, so long as you keep to the edge, and dogs are welcome. Alcohol will not be available, since current school pupils may well be present, but no doubt it would be possible for those attending to make their way afterwards to one of the local village pubs. Play should finish by mid-afternoon. Confirmed cricketers so far include Stephen Johnson, Ross Nicholson, Jason Langford, Adam Pye, Ian Burnett and Andy Rogers.

If there is sufficient interest, we would love to hold an OA v OA mixed/ family rounders match, too, which would happen at the same time as the cricket.

Shelley Grimshaw (nee Johnson), the Secretary of the OA Club, is organising proceedings, so if you would like to take part, please contact her at sl.grimshaw@hotmail.co.uk, and do get in touch with your friends to make sure they have seen this post.

Please do get in touch with Shelley as soon as possible if you would like to play or if you would be interested in being part of a rounders team. We hope that this will be a real family day on the games field, and although the cricketers will ideally need to be OAs, the rounders is open to all, as are the refreshments. We cannot guarantee the weather, of course, but we hope that the sun will be shining, as I am sure it did in your memories throughout every Abbotsholmian summer - apart from the week of camps when rain inevitably seemed to fall!